Stir-Fried Chicken with Black Bean Sauce | Wok Wednesdays

This stir-fried chicken with black bean sauce is exceptionally tasty. It's also really easy to prepare.

As a participant in Wok Wednesdays, I'm trying to stir-fry my way though Grace Young's James Beard award winning book, Stir Frying to the Sky's Edge. I can't believe how much I've learned about wok cooking, Asian ingredients, and the Chinese diaspora since embarking on this adventure.

For example, fermented black beans. Even though the name of the recipe includes "black bean sauce," you actually make the sauce yourself with fermented black beans. In this post, I describe how I found the fermented black beans with the help of the Wok Wednesdays community.

Stir-Fried Crystal Shrimp and Stir-Fried Garlic Shanghai Bok Choy | Wok Wednesdays

For this Wok Wednesday's post, I'm posting both of February's recipes today. First, the Stir-Fried Crystal Shrimp, and then the Stir-Fried Garlic Shanghai Bok Choy.

Stir-Fry Sichuan Beef

This Stir-Fry Sichuan Beef recipe is super flavorful. The sauce combines the flavors of soy, ginger, ketchup, hoisin sauce, and chili bean sauce. The vegetables include onions, green bell peppers, and a garnish of scallions, all ingredients that are readily available. The sauce is amazing.

The dish is simply wonderful over sticky rice. Can you see the steam rising?

I used some flank steak I had in the freezer to make this Sichuan Beef recipe and discovered how easy it is to slice semi-frozen meat into bite sized pieces. Doh! Why did I not know this?

I've been on a stir-fry obsession, second only to my bread obsession, and recently purchased The Breath of a Wok by Grace Young. I have been cooking from her book, Stir Frying to the Sky's Edge every other week for two years now, and decided to dip into one of her earlier books. Why should I have to wait for Wok Wednesdays to stir fry, right?

I will definitely making this again and again. Trust me, it's good.

Stir-Fry Sichuan Beef

Serves three as the main course, four to five as part of a multi-course meal

Ingredients

8 ounces flank steak 

2 T Shao Hsing rice wine or dry sherry

1 1/2 tsp plus 1 T soy sauce

5 slices ginger, smashed
2 1/2 tsp cornstarch
2 T ketchup
2 T hoisin sauce
2 tsp chili bean sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 T water
1 T peanut or vegetable oil
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 C chicken broth
2 scallions, cut into 1 inch slices

Instructions

1. Cut the flank steak with the grain into two inch wide strips, and then cut each strip into 1/4 inch wide pieces against the grain. 
2. Marinade the beef with the rice wine, 1 1/2 tsp soy sauce, and 2 slices of the ginger for 30 minutes. 
3. Drain the beef and toss it with 1 tsp of the cornstarch. 
4. Mix the ketchup, hoisin, chili bean sauce, sesame oil, and 1 T of soy sauce in a small bowl.
5. Mix 1 1/2 tsp of cornstarch and 1 T water in another small bowl and set aside.
6. Heat your wok over high heat.
7. Add 1 T of peanut or vegetable oil to the wok. Add three slices of the ginger and stir for 30 seconds.
8. Add the marinated beef and spread it into a single layer over the surface of the wok. 
9. Let it cook for one minute. 
10. Stir fry the beef for 30 seconds. 
11. Transfer the beef to a colander and let it drain over a plate.
12. Add the bell peppers and onions to the wok and stir fry for one minute. 
13. Add the broth and bring it to a boil over high heat. 
14. Add the ketchup mixture and bring it to a boil. 
15. Add the cornstarch/water mixture and boil until the sauce has thickened. 
16. Add the beef back into the wok and stir for 30 seconds. 
17. Garnish with the scallions. 

Enjoy!

Chinese Indian Chicken Manchurian | Wok Wednesdays

This Chinese Indian Chicken Manchurian combines the flavors of Cantonese stir-fry along with the sauciness of Indian food.

The first best part? We had the chiles called for in this recipe growing in our little patio garden!

The second best part? I photographed steam! Can you see it? Just tilt your screen. Woo!

This stir-fry includes:

1. chicken thigh meat marinated in egg white, cornstarch, garlic, ginger, salt, and a bit of peanut oil
2. garlic and ginger
3. Thai chiles
4. onions
5. chicken broth and soy sauce
6. cilantro
7. and scallions

The onions, chiles, ginger, and garlic are seared in the wok and then pushed aside. Then the chicken is pressed into the wok to sear undisturbed. Once it has seared, it is stir fried for about a minute or two. You then add the broth and cilantro and stir fry until the chicken is cooked through. At this point, add the scallions and serve with some rice. Bam. Dinner. 

And if you are a geek like me, try to capture some steam with your camera before everyone digs in. 

This dish is so simple to make! How are the flavors so complex? 

I've agreed not to post the specifics of the recipe, so please consider picking up the book, Grace Young's James Beard Foundation Award winning cookbook Stir Frying to the Sky's Edge.  

If you'd like to wok along, check out the Wok Wednesdays site for more information.